The oldest comic around sets an unprecedented milestone with its 1,000th issue. Action Comics #1000 features a collection of variant covers of Superman over the years to go with a collection of stories from various writers and artists.

The story likely to get the most publicity is the one to close-out the comic. In the only story that also features Supergirl, Jim Lee provides the art for Brian Michael Bendis’ first DC story that not only confirms Superman will no longer be going commando but also introduces a new villain who claims to have ties to the destruction of Krytpon. It’s an intriguing opening for Bendis, who has already won me over with the argument that Superman just isn’t Superman without those red shorts. Now if only we could convince Batman of the same.

With Butch Guice (and never published art from the late Curt Swan), Marv Wolfman offers up a story of the Mertopolis police handling a hostage situation while Superman is halfway around the world fighting Braniac. Paul Levitz and Neal Adams give us a classic tale of Superman versus Lex Luthor, and Lex and Superman reminisce about the past in a story by Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque.